Mouth speculum



1. 1. MOYYEH.

MOUTH SPECULUNL APPLICATION FIL ED SEPT. 20. I920- RENEYLED MAY 13,1922- 1,420,493". PatentedJune 20, 1922;

JZWQJ fjfqygr v IN VENTOR 'A TTORNE Y JONAS J. MO'YER, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

MOUTH SPECULUM.

marines.

Specification of Letterslatent- Patented June 20, 1922.

Application filed September 20, 1 920jSeria1 No. 411,623. Renewed May 13,1922. Serial No. 560,818.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jonas J. MoYnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouth Speculums, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mouth speculum, particularly to a combined mouth gag and tongue depressor and has :for its object the construction of an improved device of this character adapted for use in operations on the throatand adjaccntparts.

Among the objects of my present-1nvention is to provide a simple and effective means for adjusting and holding apart the teeth engaging clips of the gag. Another object is to'provide an improved mounting for the tongue depressor whereby it may be oscillated in a transverse plane and the rear end of the blade depressed against the tongue.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the tongue depressor that it may be instantaneously removed from the other part of the instrument and may as readily be placed in position thereon.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts herein illustrated and more specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

. Reference being had to the drawings forming a part of the specification.

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of my improved instrument.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a view in plan of the improved instrument.

Figure 4 is a viewin rear elevation ofthe standard of the instrument.

Figure 5 is a view in front elevation of the standard of the instrument with the tongue depressor and its stem removed.

Figure 6 is an enlarged 'sectlonal View in the line 6-6 Figure 1. a

Figure 7 is an enlarged view in perspective of the upper end of the stem to which the tongue depressor is attached.

Referring to corresponding parts in the several views by the same numeralsof reference, the instrument comprises a standard comprising 'a'stem 1 having the curved lower bar in the slot.

end 2, andhaving formed on its upper end ears 3. 'The end of the stem between the ears is curved on a circular are as shown at tyfor the purpose'hereinafte'r explained.

Back of stem 1 is a member 5, on the upper end ofwhich is formed a tooth engaging clip 6. This member extends down, back of the stem 1 and adjacent its upper end is provided with ears 7 which are adapted to be positioned outside of ears 3 and 'to be pivposite the tooth engaging clip 6. The sidesof this ring are bent rearwardly as shown at 16 in order that when the instrumenti's positioned in the mouth the ring will fit closely against the outside of the cheeks of the pa tient.

The tooth engaging clips 6 and 15 are adjustable with respect to each other by the plate 12 being moved longitudinally on member 5. To hold these parts in adjustable position I provide the ratchet mecha- I nism particularly illustrated in Figure 5.

- In forming this mechanism, plate 12 is providedwith a transverse slot 17 in which is slidably mounted a bar 18 which has an end 18 which extends slightly outside of the plate so as to be engaged by the finger to release the ratchet mechanism. This slot 17 extends through the plate and on the inside of the latter has attached a block 19 the ends of which'overlapthe plate and so hold the This block'is provided with a tooth 20 which engages a ratchet llit'ormed on inner edge of one of the bars 9. The side of this block opposite this tooth is recessed and held therein is a flat spring 21 which tends to hold the-tooth in engagement with" the ratchet. I I

The tongue depressor-consists of a stem 22 having formed on its lowerend a loop 23 which serves as a handle. The depressor stem is provided with ashoulder 24 which is adapted to engage the lower ends or the spring clips 25 attached to the face.

the rear surface of the latter;

a tongue.

of the bar 1 and thereby prevent upward H movement of the depressor in relation to this bar. The arcuateend-a, closedly embraces the depressor stem, thereby acting as a seat for upper end of the latter. To hold the stem in this seat, I provide on the back of stem -22, a hook 26, which extends over the top of arcuate, end 4, and engages The other end of stem 22 is bent at a right angle thereto and extends over the tooth engaging clip 6. This extended end denoted by 27, is provided with the longitudinal slots 28. in which the tongue depressor blade29 isfrictionallyheld.

Slidably mounted on the bar- 1 is a stop block- 30 which is adapted to be moved upwardly in the angle between the bar- 1 and member'5 and thus to increase and decrease the angle between their members.

In use the clips 6 and 15m inserted between the teeth of the patient and then moved apart. This causes the member 5 to slide in the plate 12 in the direction of the ratchet 11. The tooth 2O engaging this ratchet prevents movement in'the opposite direction and so holds the depressor against the tension produced bythe jaws.

The tongue depressor may then be positioned by engaging the hook 26 back of the arcuate end 4: andsnapping the lower end between the clips '25. This effectively holds the depressor-in position on the member 1 and yet allows a sidewise oscillative movement of the blade 29 with reference to the mouth.

The blade 29 is positioned that is normally depresses the tongue a sufficient amount, and it may bemoved longitudinally of the end27 so as to fit different shaped mouths. In case it is necessary to depress the tongue. more than normal and especially the base of the tongue'then the lower end of bar 1 is moved away from member 5. Members 1 and 5 being pivotally attached to each other by means of the pins 8, this movement throws the outer end of the tonguedepressor blade down and further depresses the back part of the WVhen these members are thus movedapart, the position may be held by sliding the block 80 up between them.

I claim asnew and wish to cover by Letters Patent 1 1. A speculum comprising a standard, teeth-engaging means to hold the mouth open, a tongue depressor oscillatively mounted on said standard so as to move transversely of the tongue, and an adjustable. tongue-engaging blade carried-by said tongue depressor.

2. A speculum comprising a mouth gag,

a-standard having an arcuate guide, spring ehpscarried-by said standard, a-tongue depressorcomprismg a stem havlng its one end engaged by said spring clips, a pin carried by the other end of said stem adapted to engage? said arcuate guide, and a' tongue depressing blade extending at substantially right angles to said stem.

3. A speculum comprising an ad ustable gag for holding the jaws apart, a tonguedepressor comprising a tongue-engaging bers in adjusted relation, oppositely dis posed teeth-engaging clips carried by said members, a tongue depressor oscillatively mounted with respect to said standard comprising a stem, spring means removably holding said stem on said standard, and a tongue depressing blade extending from said stem at substantially right angles thereto.

5. A speculum, a standard, comprising two membeds slidably mountedone on the other, a ring attached to one end of said members, teeth-engaging clips carried by said ring and the other ofsaid members a stem oscillatively mounted on said standard and having a portion extending through said ring and a tongue depressing blade carried by the outer end of said stem which,

extendsthrough said ring.

6. A speculum, a standard comprisinga.

plate, a ring rigidly attached to the upper end of said plate, a member longitudinally movable on said plate, means for adjustably.

holding said-plate relative to saidmember, teeth-engaglng clips on the upper ends of said member and said ring, a rod osclllatively mounted on said standard and :fornr mg the handle of a tongue depressmgme'm her, an end on said rod bent at right angles.

to said handle and extending through said ring, and a tongue depressor blade on the outer endof saidbent end.

7. speculum comprising two members relatively movable one on theother, teethengaging clips carried by said members:

means for holding said membersin adjusted i relation, a rod oscillatively mounted in one of said members and-forming, a handle, a portlon extendlng from the upper end of said handle and at right anglesthereto, and

a tongue depressor blade adjustably mounted on the outer end of said bent portion.

8. A speculum'comprising a plate anda member relatively movable one on the other, teeth-engaging clips carried by said plate and said members guide on said member, a

rod oscillatively mounted on said member,

a spring clip removably holding the lower end of said rod, a pin extending. from the;

said rod and engaging .said guide, and a tongue depressing blade adjustably mounted on the upper end of said rod.

9. A speculum comprising a standard, relatively movable members carried by said standard, teeth-engaging clips carried by said members, a bar oscillatively mounted on one of said movable members in the plane of said clips, and a tongue depressor removably mounted on said bar and oscillatively movable transversely with respect to said clips.

10. A mouth speculum comprising a standard, means carried by said standard for holding the jaws apart, a tongue depressor comprising a stem extending longitudinally of said standard and removably mounted thereon, a blade extending in an angular direction from said standard, and means for permitting a limited oscillative movement of said blade on an axis parallel to said stem.

11. A speculum comprising a standard, means carried by said standard for holding the jaws spread apart, a tongue depressor blade, a stem extending longitudinally of said standard and having its upper end bent at right angles to engage said blade, a pin extending from said bent portion substantially parallel to said stem, an arcuate guide carried by said standard adapted to be engaged by said pin, a spring clip adapted to engage said stem, and a shoulder on said stem adapted to engage the lower edge of said clip to prevent upward movement thereof.

12. A device of the character described a standard comprising two relatively movable members, means for holding said members in adjusted relations to each other, a tooth engaging clip carried by each of said members, a bar pivotally attached to one of said members and adapted to assume an angle with respect to the member, a tongue depressor removably mounted on said bar and a block movable between the bar and the member to which it is attached for varying the angle therebetween.

13. A device of the character described lation, a bar pivotally attached to said memher, and a tongue depressor removably held on said bar.

14. A device of the character described, a d I standard, comprising two relatively movable members, tooth engaging clips carried by said members, a bar pivotally attached to one of said members and a tongue depressor oscillatively mounted on said bar on an axis at right angles to the pivot axis of said bar on said plate.

15. A device of the character described comprising two relatively movable members, teeth engaging clips carried by said members, a bar pivotally attached to one of said members on an axis at right angles to a median line through said clips, an arcuate curved end on said bar forming a recess, a stem seated in said recess, spring holding clips for said stem on the opposite end of said bar, a hook on said stem adapted. to engage said arcuate end, an end on said stem formed at right angles thereto and extend ing between said clips, and an adjustable tongue depressor blade carried by said end.

16. A device of the character described comprising teeth engaging clips, means for holding said clips in adjusted relation, a strip pivotally mounted adjacent one of said clips on an axis at right angles to a median line between the two, a tongue depressor oscilla-tively mounted on said strip, with its axis parallel to a median line of said clipsand a tongue depressor blade extending between said clips.

In testimony whereof I'aflix my'signature.

- JONAS J. MOYER. 

